FLEXI TIME SCHEME

1. INTRODUCTION

A system of flexible working hours was introduced with the object of giving staff the flexibility to decide their hours of work as is possible while maintaining all the services provided by the Department for members of the Council, for other Departments and for the services of the Council to the public generally. The first principle must be that the duties and responsibilities of each Department are maintained without loss of efficiency.

2. SUPERVISING OFFICERS

Directors appoint supervising officers in each section of each Directorate/Department to be responsible for day-to-day running of the flexible working hours scheme. Supervising officers are responsible for maintaining records of authorised overtime and for arrangements for officers to take time off in respect of credit hours.

3. OFFICE OPENING HOURS

Offices are open for work from 7.30 am to 7.30 pm on Monday to Friday and staff may attend for normal working during those hours. Work outside those hours will not be recorded except where overtime has been authorised. The hours during which offices are open to the public remain unchanged. Normally officers will not be permitted to work for more than 9 hours on any one day.

4. CORE TIME

Core time is 10.00 am to 4.00 pm on Mondays to Fridays and all staff must be in attendance during those hours on each of their working days, subject to the arrangements for lunch-time set out below.

5. LUNCH BREAK

Officers must take a lunch-break of at least half-an-hour and may take up to two hours. Officers should advise the supervising officer of the length of lunch-break which they intend to take within these limits. The lunch-break will normally be taken between 12.00 pm and 2.00 pm.

6. MINIMUM STAFF ON DUTY

Between 8.45 am and 10.00 am on each working day, between 3.00 pm and 5.00 pm on Monday to Thursdays and between 3.00 pm and 4.45 pm on Fridays, it will be necessary for a minimum number of staff to be on duty. Supervising officers should ensure that sections are adequately staffed.

7. ACCOUNTING PERIOD The accounting period is four weeks. Within that period staff are required to work 144 hours (normally 4 X 36). Officers may accrue credit or debit hours up to a maximum of 10 hours and this credit or debit may be carried forward to the next accounting period. Credit hours should be taken by working less hours outside core time but, subject to the agreement of the supervising officer, officers may take a half day or whole day to work off credit hours.

On days when a half day is granted in order to work off credit hours, the officer concerned must work a minimum of 3¼ hours continuously. Provided that the requisite number of hours are completed in any four week accounting period officers may, subject to prior arrangement with the supervising officer, take one flexi day off per month.

8. OVERTIME

Where any officer is requested to perform overtime duties on any day, hours in excess of 7¼ actually worked during that day will be recorded and will be paid at overtime rates in accordance with the Scheme of Conditions of Service for all officers who are eligible for overtime payments. Hours for which overtime payments are made will not be counted towards any credit hours.

9. COMMITTEE ATTENDANCE

Hours spent in Committee are not regarded for flexible purposes as ‘working’ hours. On any night when an officer is engaged at Committee, he/she will take a break of at least half-an-hour between 5.00 pm and the time of the Committee Meeting. Any hours worked otherwise during this period will be recorded as working hours.

10. CALCULATION OF WORKING HOURS

Authorised absence from the office for a whole day on any form of leave or for carrying out duties outside the office or for courses, day release etc., will be recorded at 7¼ hours for officers on any day.

Where an officer is authorised to leave the office during the course of a day owing to sickness or for courses or any form training, a full working day shall be recorded for that day.

When an officer is authorised to leave the office during the course of a day to carry out duties away from the office, any time spent on those duties and the time necessary to travel to the other place of duty will be recorded as working time. Where the officer returns to the office after such outside duties, the time necessary for the journey back to the office will be recorded as working time.

Arrangements for annual leave, sick leave and hospital appointments will remain unaltered. 11. **SUBSISTENCE ALLOWANCE**

Where an officer chooses to work late during office opening hours 7.30 am to 7.30 pm and claims the hours worked under the terms of the flexitime scheme no subsistence allowance is payable.